The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-03
Mr.. Fayne Wounded by a Lion.

Frank I. Fraype,the wellknown fire.
arms and wild beast variety specialist,
b ad narrow escape from being claw
ed to pieces by his fsvorite stage lion.
Robert Ingersoll. Mr. Frayne has a
country place called Echo Dell, about
three miles from Madison, a village
near Morristown, N. j., on the Morris
and Essex Division of the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Railroad.
Here he spends his summer and keeps
his little meuagerie while 1t is off duty
in his sensational play "Mardo.' Mr..
Frayne's season on the road closed this
year about three weeks ago, and the
little colony had got pretty well se,-
tied at the Echo Dell farm--except for
the two hyenas, which were bowling
and barking at nights--before the acci-
dent took place.
MIR. and Mrs Frayne, Mr.. Frayne's
aunt and daughter "Fred" Knight, the
head trainer and keeper, and young
colored boy in the "Mardo' company
we're quartered in the farm house. The
big lion Robert Ingersoll, the two
hyenas, two trained horses, plow
horse and lots of rabbits were in the
barn, about fifty yards off, near the
main road. A big bear was chained
to cherry tree outside the barn and
little bear, suffering with lung trouble
and a bad cough, was tied to the road
fence. Three or four dogs-a trained
bull dog, and a mastiff among them
roamed about the front yard.
Early on Monday morning. May 16,
the actor was awakened by quick
succession of yells, roarings and high
keyed neighings from the barn. The
hyenas were letting their lungs out
more blood curdlingly than ever the
big lion was following with unusual
fury the horses were whinnying p,-
eously with fear Dressing quickly,
Mr.. Frayne rushed down across the
yard to the stables. The two bears
were tugging fiercely at the CHAINS out
side. The yells inside grew more
piercing every second.
The actor, in his shirt sleeves and
stocking feet pulled one of the sliding
barn doors aside and stepped in. The
stable is divided into two rows of
stalls with a threshing floor between
them. In the three stalls on one side
were Mr.. Frayne's trained horse "Boli-
war;" a trained Kentucy colt, used by
Miss Frayne, and an ordinary plough
horse. Across the threshing floor
were the cages of the wild
beasts. But the lions cage was
empty and the big barred front was
lying half tipped over on pile of
boards on the main floor.
The lion was crouching behind the
manger of the trained horse, Bolivar,
and was just springing as the door
opened. In q second he had crunched
the horses neck and the poor beast
fell, still neighing and snorting, in
agony, on the stall floor. The lion
sank his jaws again in the mangled
flesh and was about to tear the quiver-
ing animal to pieces, when the actor
struck him smart blow with a stick
across the back. Mr.. Frayne had seen
his favorite pet kill two men in fits of
insubordination, and he knew at once
that only quick stroke would save his
own life now. He could not we'll back
out either, for the lions appetite once
whetted with blood, his escape would
play havoc with the country round.
The actor had picked up stout rope
with slip moose, like lasso, and as
the lion turned quickly after the blow
the moose was thrown cleverly about
his neck. Then with good deal OF
rope slack, the trainer ran the far end
around bar of the cage door and
pulled. The lion was startled and half
cowed at first at the sight of his train
er and master. He followed the pull
of the rope mechanically across the
threshing-foOr into the cage. The
whole face of the cage was still lying
propped against the pile of lumber at
one end. 1t had fallen from two OF
its three hinges at the other end aud
was almost flat down on the floor there
Mr.. Frayne lifted the bars as the
lion crossed, and tried to catch them
again on their hinges. The lion glaret
at him sullenly for second or two
till the front was nearly up, and ther
made spring. 1t was too late, how.
ever. The one hinge was caught, ant
the actor succeeded in fastening tn,
others. The enraged beast slipped off
Then he jumped again and clawinl
! blindly through the bars, caught MI
Fraynes left arm. Four of the claw
: STUCK in, most of them about an incl
} Deep The blood trickled down tn
shirt sleeve, soaking it, But the acto
got away without any more seriou
, hurts.
The whole thing was over so quickl
, that even Chief Keeper Knight ha,
: not time to reach the barn. The wound
8 ed actors arm was dressed, and stric
: instructions were given to keep tn
l matter secret, for fear of alarming tn
r neighoorhood. Last Monday nigh
D Mr.. Frayne left Madison for Nj
t Clemens, and nothing has been seen c
! him near Morristown since. His arr
\ is doing well, however. His wife sal
n recently that the wounds were onl
flesh ones, and that they had almos
healed up. The horse died soon afte
Q the encounter. TIE lion has been ugl
0 and sulky ever since. His cage wi
be patched up strongly against an
further outbreaks. He has a bulle
wound now in his head from the la,
: of his man eating exploits in Mexico.
J. Mr.. Frayne, it will be remembered
r shot one of his nieces accidently Will
e doing a sort of William Tell rifle a,
y in Cincinnati some years ago.
II He and his company played at IL
Opera House in Bloomsbury fe
d weeks ago, il "Mardo,' during whic
}. he entered the lions Gag. 1t ws
noticed at the time that the actor Ike,
:. very close watch ON the lion, an
d didn't linger in its company grea
0 while.